With almost a week to go until the one year anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s death, many people in the basketball community are beginning to look back on that moment and how it changed their life.
For many that didn’t know Kobe as family, he was a mentor, role-model, and inspiration — and hearing the news of him going down so suddenly is certainly cause for a serious emotional response.
Steph Curry, in a chat with East Bay Times, described the moment when he, himself, heard the news of Kobe’s tragic passing.
“I’ll remember that day for the rest of my life. I was coming back from injury, but I got to participate in practices that day,” Curry said, per East Bay Times. “On the sidelines, you could see the body language change immediately. Practice just kind of came to a halt.
A lot of reflection, sadness — an overwhelming moment for sure. You didn’t want to think it was true. It was a tough day for the whole world, for the whole basketball world. It’s surreal. It’s still hard,” Curry said. “It doesn’t seem like it’s been a year since it happened.”
Kobe’s “tough love” approach toward his teammates may have made some of his on0court relationships harder, but nobody knocks the guy when it comes to who he is as a person, man, and competitor.
The reason why his passing was so sad is that Bryant was seen as so invincible by many.
And while his body may be gone, his legacy will live on for as long as man can breathe.
